Cookie Additions Go Beyond Raisins

September 22, 1999|By Annette Gooch, Universal Press Syndicate.

The foundation of many a nourishing, fiber-rich breakfast is a prime staple for cookie baking as well: Rolled oats contribute a distinctive chewiness and wholesome, toasted-grain taste that rounds out the butterscotch flavor of a classic oatmeal cookie.

The only thing better is oatmeal cookies with a surprise ingredient--dried apricots, coconut or chocolate--in place of the usual raisins.

Two tips for cookie success:

- To shape drop cookies, use one spoon to scoop dough and a second of the same size to push dough onto baking sheet. Use both spoons to mound and smooth dough.

- Shape dough into uniform portions so cookies will be the same size and finish baking at the same time.

APRICOT-OATMEAL DROPS

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes per batch

Yield: About 5 dozen

The tartness of dried apricots balances the richness of brown sugar and butter in this cookie.

1 cup dried apricots, slivered

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each: salt, ground nutmeg, ground cloves

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put apricots and water in medium saucepan. Heat to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until apricots can be pierced easily with fork, 8-10 minutes. Drain well; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.